Hooking your minnows...

[mrwillis]

I am not new to this crappie fishing thing, but I am not a pro, either. However, I don't use minnows. I am a jig/crappie niblet & a slow retrieve man, and it has worked very well for us the past 6 years I have gone. However, I want to be as knowledgeable in the subject matter as I can. I watched a man come in and fish a spot that my dad and I fished and fished with a jig and niblet for about 1/2 hour. He boated by us, said "hi, and ended up catching 3 fish off the spot we just left...ON MINNOWS!
I swear...if you asked 30 different people how to hook a minnow, you would get 31 different answers.

WHAT ARE YOUR DIFFERENT SUGGESTIONS?

[catch fillet]

Bottom of mouth through top of head,use lite narrow hook.Just a little past his mouth.2 cents worth

[skiptomylu]

Through the eyes, just make sure to keep it shallow going from one side tot eh other. The minnow will live longer and stay on better than through his lips and or through his back under the dorsal fin. I think that I have tried them all and like through the lips from bottom to top, but they come off too much where through his eyes he will not come off and he will live longer.

[superdave1984]

If you tail hook them, side to side, they stay active a long time. This works really well if you are fishing under a bobber and not moving around.

[SMITTY 58D]

I have recently tried through just above the tail. The fish was still able to swim and I have caugt 3 fish off the same minnow. I also use the above two methods which also work great.

[crappiencali]

Through the eyes or through the bottom of the jaw and up.

[shild]

Tail for still fishing/ lips for drifting.

[Rowdy]

I Used in the lip's but my son uses eye hook, he was 8 fish to my 1, using my poles, my rigs,I switched to eye hooking and we were close to even the rest of the week!
Rowdy:o

[luvjign]

If you're tipping a jig, there's a "sweet spot" that you need to get good at hitting through the upper lip once you come through the lower lip. I consider that "sweet spot" critical because of two things.......how long they live, and how good they stay on. But, slow trolling on Grenada, we use big stuff anyway (1/0 hooks, medium minnows),and I've found that through the eyes keeps them on the hook better, as well as alive just as long (only if you find that "sweet spot" around the eye sockets as well).

Like Roger Gant says............If ya hookem' through the eyes, at least they can't see what's fixin' to happen to em'!!!!!!!

[TJ Adams]

I generally hook mine through the big tow, they seem to live longer...:D


I've heard so many different way's, I like to hook mine through the eyes too...